That's not how it happened!
by Acerak
Summary: A civilian author investigates the Uchiha Massacre. Post-canon, oneshot.


Interviewer: Good morning! I'm your host, Kon Tadashi (KT), and welcome to the morning edition of _Naha Now!_ It is currently 9:35 in the morning, and we have a lot of interesting stories coming up, including how one smart resident is organizing community trash pickups in rural areas. But first, we have with us a famous guest Please welcome, Togoshi Shoin (TS)!

 _Audience claps._

KT: Now, Togoshi-san, or can I call you Shoin-san?

TS: Thank you. I'm honored to be here, and yes, you can, as long as I can call you Tadashi-san.

KT: Certainly! Now, for those of you who've never set foot out of your home, Shoin-san is a famous author and journalist.

 _Audience chuckles._

He's written 39 books on his travels and the cultures he's experienced around the Elemental Nations. You know, I am a huge fan of your work, which my mother introduced me to when I was 15. I think it was _Fish and Freedom in the Land of Water_ , which is still my favorite book.

TS: _chuckles._ Oh yes, that was a fun one. Dangerous, though. I nearly got eaten by some of Water's resident sharks.

KT: Right. Now, tell us about your latest book, which you've spent, what, six years creating?

TS: Five and a half, actually. This book is about something which I've wanted to write about for years, but never had the chance to. It's titled _Kunai and Colors_ and is the first easy-to-read book that I'm aware of that looks at the cultures that have come about in the shinobi villages. You know, these villages have been isolated, for a variety of reasons, from people, created by the various chakra-wielding clans more than a 100 years ago. And…they're so different that it feels as if we've got these sub-nations within each country, totally different than anything you'd expect.

KT: You've mentioned that it felt almost like stepping back in time, can you elaborate on that?

TS: Sure. I'll Konoha as an example. The first thing I noticed was the monument dedicated towards past and present leaders. In Konoha, there's the famous Hokage Rock, which has giant faces carved into it. In Kumo, the statues of various Raikages line the walls, and I'm told the names can be made to light up with some shinobi technique at night.

The way people speak about these leaders is highly reverent. They're treated as a pantheon in their own right, with most people in the villages having at least a statue or small altar towards the first leader, who was responsible for creating the village. In Konoha, that's Senju Hashirama, given the title "God of Shinobi" for his supposed power.

Another thing is the style of government. You and I have a Prime Minister who rules along with their Collection of Ministers. Konoha, and most other villages as well, are run solely by the clans who live there. The Hokage can take advice from anyone, since they are, in theory, the person who all shinobi have to obey, but the clans have a large, if not largest, share of power. The amount of power varies, with Iwa having what we'd consider the most fair or modern system, but the clans all exert some power.

KT: Interesting. Though from what I understand, doesn't Konoha only report to the Daimyo as well?

TS: That's actually not true, the Daimyo is the only one by treaty who gets shinobi guards, but there is a shinobi posted to the capital, who reports to Ministers.

KT: Okay, okay. So, tell me more about this book in particular. What did you find interesting in Konoha's culture?

TS: Lots of things. Firstly, they're surrounded by some of the oldest trees in the Land of Fire, some of which have been dated to be 3000 years old at the least, and none below 100 years old. The more factual accounts suggest that only the younger ones were created by the Shodaime, but no one is allowed to cut any trees within 13 kilometers of Konoha, and on the anniversary of the village's founding every family will go out and buy a local sapling, planting it outside when it is large enough in several months. In fact, one of my friends who is a dendrologist, says that Konoha's laws are quite helpful, and they've collected much data by examining the tree cores in the area.

KT: Wow! So, so what was most interesting thing you found? Was there something that seemed more interesting than anything else?

TS: Absolutely. Practically no one knows of this, but there were two clans who founded Konoha. The Senju, from whom the first and second Hokages came from, were largely gone perhaps…25 to 35 years ago. The members ended up marrying into the other clans as part of treaties to have them join Konoha. The last living member of the Senju is Senju Tsunade, the fifth Hokage.

The Uchiha, on the other hand, numbered close to 200, the number fluctuating slightly over the years. Until 17 years ago, when the entire clan was destroyed in what Konoha calls the Uchiha Massacre.

KT: The Uchiha Massacre? What, what happened to them?

TS: This was what I wanted to find out as well. So, I spoke to a teacher at the local shinobi academy, one Umino Iruka. He told me the following, in a hushed tone as if speaking about a horror story.

Supposedly, the Uchiha clan head, one Uchiha Fugaku at that time, had two sons. The older one was Uchiha Itachi, the younger was Uchiha Sasuke. One night, Itachi-san killed every single member of the clan, leaving only his younger brother alive, who was changed radically after coming home to seeing his family die.

KT: …That's…that's all of it? Seems rather odd. ( _nervous chuckle)_

TS: Yes, exactly! But this is exactly the kind of thing I'd want to investigate. What was this event, that even after almost 20 years, no one wants to speak of it? So, one chapter of this book is dedicated to that mystery, what I learned from speaking to Konoha's citizens, and my overall conclusions.

KT: Fascinating. We'll be right back after these messages from our sponsor, after which we have an interview with one local resident on a quest to help rural garbage pick-up, so don't go away! A round of applause please, for Togoshi Shoin, and don't forget to pick up his new book, which comes out next week!

 _(Audience claps, Tadashi and Shoin bow to each other, then Shoin exits)  
_

* * *

Chapter 9: The Uchiha Massacre

Note: Full transcripts in this chapter are available in the appendix, the ones here are edited for relevancy.

1\. Umino Iruka

2\. Nara Shikaku

3\. Hyuuga Hiashi

4\. Uchiha Sakura

5\. Anonymous

Konoha as a village was founded more than a 100 years ago by the two most powerful shinobi clans in the Land of Fire: The Senju and the Uchiha. The Senju were famed for having members who held a variety of specialties, and highly skilled in their chosen specialization. The most famous members, at least in the shinobi world, are the following three:

 **Senju Hashirama** : The first Hokage and considered the man who really brought Konoha into existence, creating a peace treaty with his clan's enemy the Uchiha. The only know wielder of the Wood Release, though he was capable of using all five elemental releases (fire, water, earth, lightning, and wind). The first person to capture the Tailed Beasts.

 **Senju Tobirama** : The second Hokage, succeeding his brother instead of Uchiha Madara. Powerful, but less than Hashirama-sama. Reputed to be the fastest man alive in his time, and a master of seals.

 **Senju Tsunade** : The fifth Hokage, and granddaughter of Hashirama-sama. Famed as the best medical shinobi in existence and considered the pioneer of modern shinobi chakra-based healing and medicine.

The Uchiha, on the other hand, were considered powerful for their bloodline limit, the Sharingan. This bloodline, which expresses itself by changing the eyes from their normal coloration to a red sclera with black tomoe ranging from one to three per eye (and not necessarily the same number in each eye), is capable of giving the wielder faster reaction times and leaving a perfect memory of whatever the user saw with their eyes. The most famous Uchiha would be the following three:

 **Uchiha Madara** : The Uchiha clan head who signed the peace treaty with Senju Hashirama. Failed to become second Hokage, which is said to be the reason he became the first recorded "missing-nin" in shinobi history. Powerful enough to fight against Senju Hashirama. Mind-controlled the ninth Tailed Beast, the Nine-Tailed Fox, and used it to fight against Hashirama-sama, the results of which are said to have created the Valley of the End.

 **Uchiha Itachi** : A highly skilled shinobi, who was promoted to jonin at the age of 11, and one of the few S-ranked shinobi in the world. Rumored to have been feared even amongst S-ranked shinobi.

 **Uchiha Sasuke** : The last full-blooded Uchiha left in the world, and Itachi-san's younger brother. Rated in shinobi bingo books as S-ranked.

These clans, both very powerful, are practically gone. Tsunade-sama is the last of the Senju and is well into her fifties with no children. Uchiha Sasuke has a family who were kind enough to meet me, but with only one daughter, the Uchiha are more of a shinobi family than a shinobi clan.

The manner in which these clans disappeared, however, is far more interesting. The Senju disappeared voluntarily, completely at odds with normal clan psychology. Clan records and treaties show that the they married into the various clans who would end up joining the village, such as the Nara, Hyuuga, and Kurama.

The Uchiha, however, had stable numbers since the founding of Konoha. Though exact numbers are forbidden from being revealed, I can say that there were, on average, 200 members at any given time. They also ran the Konoha Military Police Force (KMPF), responsible for upholding the laws against shinobi and civilian.

All this changed, however, 17 years ago, when the entire clan minus one was found dead in their compound, not even the children left alive. The sole survivor was Uchiha Sasuke, younger brother of Uchiha Itachi, who was the one to publicly stated to have killed the clan, leaving a traumatized younger brother.

 **1\. Umino Iruka**

I learned all this in a conversation with the headmaster of the Konoha Shinobi Academy, Umino Iruka. Below is the transcript of the interview I had with him, edited for relevancy.

 **So, tell me about the Uchiha Massacre.**

That...will you be using my interview in your book?

 **Only if you let me. If you wish, I can attribute it to anonymous sources.**

No, that's fine. It's just…I can't think about it without remembering all those younger children who I was teaching. I remember their final day perfectly. Especially Sasuke, he was never the same after that.

 **It must have been hard on you to learn that it happened.**

Yes, but it doesn't do to dwell on bad memories. Where was I?

 **The Massacre.**

Oh, yes. Everyone was shocked when it first come out. I mean, the Uchiha were one of the founding clans, and powerful. Very powerful, practically born as shinobi. I don't think I spent more than a few months even teaching him.

 **You mean Uchiha Itachi?**

Yes. He was gifted like anything by the time he entered the academy. There were rumors that his father [Uchiha Fugaku], the clan head at the time, had even taken him to fight during the end of the third war. If he did, it wouldn't surprise me. The Uchiha began their training far before the Academy, sometimes as early as two or three.

 **Can you tell me more about Itachi-san after he graduated?**

Not much, sorry. All I heard from some jonin was how the Uchiha heir was climbing the ranks very fast. I heard he made chunin very quickly after graduating. He became ANBU after that. I don't know much more, I'm sorry.

 **It's fine. How old was he, when the Massacre happened?**

I think…13.

 **Do you think it was him?**

I…I really don't know what to think. There were more than 100 Uchiha, easily, I don't know the actual number. A lot of them were jonin, and carried the experience of fighting in the third war. It seemed odd to me that he was able to kill them…

 **But you think he did anyways?**

Probably. He was just better than anyone else his age, and the fact that he attacked at night in their home probably meant the stronger shinobi were ambushed. But again, I just don't know.

 **What do you think his reason was?**

That's the most important question, isn't it? Everybody says that he snapped, and I think that's likely as well. As I said, there were rumors he was actually in the third war. He'd have been four, if that was the case. It may seem cruel to someone like you, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Uchiha decided it would make him stronger. They clearly didn't understand that you can't just toss a child into war and not expect some kind of trauma to affect them. Maybe he decided they weren't strong enough, or he liked the idea of killing lots of people. Or maybe…

 **Yes?**

It's just, he was also there when the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked. Maybe the beast's evil chakra affected him, made him turn evil?

 **I see. Thank you for your time.**

You're welcome.

 _(end of transcript)_

So Itachi-san was considered strong, even by the Uchiha's high standards. In addition, he attacked over the night, and would have attacked the Uchiha in their home, meaning many would be caught off guard.

Was that it, though? Surely someone would have noticed the killing and run for help. And why is it no one came from outside on an errand or something similar?

Perhaps Itachi-san was aided by others, cutting down how long it would take kill the clan or keeping visitors away?

* * *

 **2\. Nara Shikaku**

I decided to speak to the Nara clan next, famed for their tactical acumen and high level of intelligence. I was granted an audience with Nara Shikaku, clan head.

 **Could you tell me about the Uchiha clan?**

What exactly would you want to know?

 **Anything in regard to the Massacre itself.**

There isn't much to say. Their heir killed off the entire clan, left that poor young boy alive. He was in a coma for a week, and he wasn't the same ever again.

 **What do you think Itachi-san's reason was?**

Not one that you or I could understand.

 **Do you think there is blame to be placed anywhere?**

Perhaps on Fugaku-san himself. He pushed the boy to be in ANBU, and he got in without the usual checks.

 **What usual checks?**

Nothing I can specify, but a psychiatric evaluation is part of the screening process. Itachi-san doesn't have one attached to his record, nor is it a case of misfiled paperwork.

 _At this point, I am introduced to his wife, Nara Yoshino. They graciously invite me to lunch where I meet his son Nara Shikamaru, back from a mission to Suna. He is a happy, if lethargic young man, speaking about his girlfriend Temari. After lunch, Shikaku-sama asks me to play Shogi with him._

So, what do you think of the Massacre?

 **It seems odd. From my interviews, Itachi-san seemed to be a very strong shinobi, but I don't think there is evidence to suggest he was strong enough to have killed the entire clan by himself. I'm wondering if he had help of any sort, surely someone must have chanced upon the scene from outside during the night, or a clan member running away before he could get them. I think the idea that he had outside help can't be discounted.**

 _Shikaku-sama is silent for several minutes. The only sound is shogi pieces occasionally being moved._

You're wrong, you know.

 **About what?**

Itachi-kun truly was that strong. That boy truly earned his S-rank; he was far beyond anything the Uchiha had produced since Madara. If he had taken them on during the day, I still wouldn't have doubted his ability to kill them.

 **But just because he could, doesn't mean he did it by himself.**

…

 _As expected, Shikaku-sama beats me easily, having played far longer than I have._

 _I thank him for his time, thank his wife for her hospitality, and leave._

(end of transcript)

So Itachi-san was apparently strong enough to have killed them. If Shikaku-sama was to be believed, he was strong enough and _fast_ enough. So, the idea that someone might have alerted the village, or an outsider might have intruded upon the event is low, probably non-existent, but I still needed to be sure.

* * *

 **3\. Hyuuga Hiashi**

Unlike the Nara compound, which is surrounded by trees and shrubs, with vegetation running somewhat wildly for the Nara deer to graze upon, the Hyuuga compound is entirely clean, almost sterile. Everything is symmetrically placed, and any garden is very cleanly stopped from growing out of its bounds. There is no dirt to speak of anywhere.

Hiashi-sama was kind enough to speak with me, inviting me to sit in his garden while a servant brought a local herbal tea for us.

 **So, your clan has always been in charge of wall security?**

Indeed. Our bloodline, the Byakugan, lets us observe everything around us, including chakra and objects hidden from plain sight. Naturally, my grandfather signed a treaty with the Senju and Uchiha when joining the village, which made our clan primarily responsible for patrolling the walls.

 **On the night of the Massacre, then, your clan members were patrolling as usual?**

Of course. There was no indication something was wrong, and so we had shinobi placed to maximize surveillance as normal.

 **Did none of your clansmen patrol by the Uchiha Compound?**

No. It is considered rude to use our bloodline when it might intrude on the privacy of other citizens of Konoha. Outside of training, missions, and patrols, we are forbidden from doing so. And the general assumption is that the clans are responsible for maintaining their own security. Our patrols are placed to avoid all land owned by other clans.

 **But you believe no one from outside entered the village, perhaps…?**

Were another shinobi to ask that, I would take it as a grave offense. I will explain only once for you.

The clans of Konoha are especially aware of how valuable our bloodlines are. We may not always be on the best terms, and the Hyuuga have always had a rivalry with the Uchiha, but we will never compromise the security of the village simply to hurt each other. We take pride in our ability to protect each other to the best of our ability, even if others are not content to do their duty in silence.

 **My apologies, I didn't mean to imply you, or your clan, are dishonorable.**

As long as you are aware of your transgression, it is fine.

… **The story goes that Itachi-san disappeared after he destroyed the clan. Do you think he was strong enough to do so, or even stealthy enough?**

The Uchiha heir was certainly powerful enough to hide from my clan. I was one of the three who aided the Hokage at that time in selecting and reviewing ANBU candidates. Itachi-kun was one of the files I read over, and the boy was overqualified to join. The most significant thing he lacked was a psychological screening.

 **But he still got accepted?**

 _Hiashi-sama shakes his head in disgust._

Yes, despite mine and Yamanaka Inoichi's protests. It was the third member, Shimura Danzo, who convinced the Hokage to accept him.

 **Can you tell me about Shimura-san?**

He was an old friend and teammate of the third Hokage and served as part of the informal Council the third Hokage created. In a way, they were brothers, much like the first and second Hokages. The third Hokage was very much like the first in disposition and power. Shimura-san was like the second. I do not care to speak of it more.

 **What reason do you think Itachi-san had for killing his clan?**

 _Hiashi-sama is quiet for a minute, sipping his tea._

The second Hokage once said, "Speak quietly and be a better shinobi." Itachi-kun lived that idea, though some say he was simply introverted or shy. It is a shame that his clan did not follow his example.

 **I was under the impression that they were considered very strong. Were they arrogant but weak?**

 _Hiashi-sama scoffs._

Every clan has their core of veteran clansmen. The Uchiha were just far more vocal about it. Their…boasting was always exasperating. They felt entitled to more power, more authority, just because the Senju firstly made treaty with them.

Perhaps the most telling incident was a few years after the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked. I remember the Fugaku-san asking for more funding towards the KMPF.

 **And this was unusual?**

No, everyone had five dozen needs that require as much money as possible, but the funding the village provided for the KMPF was set at a certain value set to rise with inflation.

No, this request was for a massive amount of funding, close to doubling their budget. And it was to be unconditional, just like the treaty establishing the KMPF had guaranteed for the original budget.

 _Hiashi-sama frowns and looks out over his garden._

The village was barely rebuilt, we hadn't regained our numbers, and there were a hundred other needs for that money, even Fugaku-san agreed on that.

 **Do you know why they asked, then?**

No, and anyone with that knowledge is probably dead. But at the time, we thought it was foolish. We tried making them see reason, explaining where the money needed to go. When that didn't work, we tried removing the unconditional nature of the money, to reign in what was seen as a private Uchiha organization built with public funds. We wanted to reorganize, see if the police force could be made better.

But they insisted it go to them unconditionally and threatened to pull their patrols unless it was granted. I remember thinking that perhaps even Fugaku-san didn't like the idea. Certainly, he never pushed as hard as he could have, but perhaps the clan elders decided on it.

 **Was the request met?**

No, and they started holding up other trivial matters, things settled long ago. They brought up old grudges, ones long since resolved.

Eventually, even the Hokage tired of hearing it at the weekly meetings, and they eventually started dealing only with him. I don't know what, if anything, came of it before they died.

 **Did Itachi-san feel strongly that his clan members were wrong or bad?**

He may have disapproved, but I don't think their attitude was what led to his actions. Itachi-kun loved his younger brother, and tolerated his clan, at the very least.

 **What then, in your opinion, was the reason they died?**

I do not wish to engage in baseless rumor-mongering. Let us speak of something else.

(end of transcript)

If the Uchiha Massacre was a void from which no information could be found, then I was slowly building my knowledge with indirect facts. I didn't know why Itachi-san killed his clan, but I could eliminate the idea that he had help from other shinobi (foreign or not). My next lead, then, was to try and speak with Uchiha Sakura, the wife of Uchiha Sasuke.

* * *

 **4\. Uchiha Sakura**

Today, the last of the Uchiha don't live in the compound. Instead, the family stays in a cozy two-story home. Uchiha Sakura greets me warmly, welcoming me into her home. I'm informed her husband is currently gone on a mission.

 **Your mentor was Senju Tsunade, yes?**

 _She seems surprised but hides it quickly._

I thought you would ask me about the Uchiha Massacre. Shikamaru-kun mentioned you were asking about it.

Yes, Tsunade-shisou taught me everything I know about being a medic-nin! I still work with her at the hospital, though we do more work on developing new techniques and healing civilians, given the new peace.

 **Amazing. And she started doing all this while being the fifth Hokage?**

Yup! She barely slept some weeks, just going back and forth between hospital and the Hokage tower when needed. I think a room at the hospital got coverted to an ANBU base to accommodate her work schedule.

 **So, you must have a certain political savviness as well, yes? Or at least, a political education?**

 _Sakura-san nervously chuckles, looking bashful._

Yes, that's true. I've always had a good mind for keeping people's requests memorized, so she would have me sit in as her apprentice during her meetings.

 **Did you happen to meet one Shimura Danzo during this time?**

 _She frowns slightly, looking away._

Yes. Yes, I did. He was a councilman under the third Hokage. His position wasn't official, but I think Tsunade-shisou still consulted with him due to how shaky her reign seemed. You have to understand that while Jiraiya-sama was seen at the time as a past AND present hero, a village icon like his teacher the third Hokage, Tsunade-shisou was only a past hero. No one liked acknowledging it, but I think there was always a certain amount of disapproval of her practical desertion for years before. Of course, her constant presence at the hospital mitigated the mutterings, but I think a lot of people, even those who loudly cheered her on, were glad when Kakashi-sensei took over the position.

The councilman, however, was someone I didn't understand. He was retired, and there were others who had as much of a reputation like he did, but his advice was still apparently relevant at the meetings.

 **Do you know what he did in the past to make himself that valuable?**

The only thing Tsunade-shisou told me was that he used to run Root. It was some special division of ANBU, focused on long-term infiltration.

 **What happened to it?**

It was officially disbanded by the third Hokage about five years before his death.

 **Officially?**

 _A much-more pronounced frown sits on her face. She seems to think her response over before getting up and grabbing a piece of paper. She writes something down, then folds it and gives it to me, telling me to visit this person at a specific place and time._

(end of transcript)

I still hadn't found anything important about the councilman, other than the fact that he ran Root. It might have been a distraction, but I had a feeling that this lead was the deciding factor in this mystery.

* * *

 **5\. Anonymous**

 **Can you tell me about Shimura Danzo?**

 _They snort._

What do you want to know?

 **Tell me about his involvement with Root. I understand that he was in charge of it.**

In charge? That man was the founder of Root, having ran it only slightly less time than the third Hokage ran the village. He stayed in control until his death.

 **What exactly was Root's purpose?**

Infiltration, sabotage, search and destroy, anything and everything spy related. It had agents in every country and hidden village who reported back regularly. There were even measures to prevent agents from speaking if caught.

 **I've been informed that the councilman was the one who pushed the third Hokage to accept Uchiha Itachi into ANBU. Do you know why he did that?**

Because Itachi was actually sent to join Root. He was referred by another Uchiha who worked in Root, one Uchiha Shusui. The councilman took a special interest in Itachi-san, supervising his work personally.

 **And Itachi-san learned Root's techniques during his two-year career?**

He excelled at them. He was naturally talented at reading people, and his sharingan made manipulation trivial. Those two years helped him learn how to fight with a sword and set up ambushes.

 **As far as you are aware, did Itachi-san get the standard psychological evaluation all ANBU were required to?**

No. I was in the program as well, and none of the people I worked with were given those. The councilman preferred to deal with any issues…in house.

 **How so?**

 _They stare out at the trees, not making any noise._

I've worked in ANBU. If they have any issues that come up, there's someone on call, usually a Yamanaka or someone from Torture and Interrogation to help them cope. Most ANBU serve on a rotating basis between the reserve and the active corps. You stay active for maybe six months unless you're doing infiltration or something like that. You also follow the one-two rule. For every session you serve, you wait two before joining again.

But Root isn't…wasn't like that. Once you joined, that was it. I can't think of any Root agent who left the service if Danzo didn't want them to. And they broke down any signs of who you were before you joined very fast.

 **Can I ask what was done?**

Beatings were common if you failed something or acted out. If you couldn't hit the target with all your kunai, a strike to your shoulder. If you collapsed during the exercises, a kick to your stomach. And if you did something not allowed, like talking back or not being where they said to wait, even if it was hours ago? They sent you to learn "enhanced torture resistance techniques". Never mind that we couldn't reveal anything. The ones who went there never fought back. Ever.

Give it six months, and every recruit had the personality of a tree. And very loyal, there were several ways to promote loyalty to the village.

…

 **Let's change subjects. Can you tell me what the councilman thought of the Uchiha?**

I don't know anything definitive, since I never acted as his bodyguard. All I know are the rumors.

 **And what are those?**

Danzo didn't like the Uchiha. Supposedly it had to do with his teacher, the second Hokage. Apparently Tobirama-sama didn't like them either, thinking they were dangerous and a serious flight risk.

 **Did it have to do with their supposed arrogance?**

No. Everyone just kind of put up with it, from what I recall. I think the real issue began after the Nine-Tails' attack.

I'm trusting you to keep me anonymous, because this a very taboo subject.

 **I won't reveal your identity or give hints to it, you can trust me.**

The Nine-Tails' eyes. They had the Sharingan in them.

 **What? How is that possible?**

I can't say. But after the attack, people were confused and angry, wondering why they were attacked. I think it became the easiest thing to latch onto, and people started whispering that maybe the Uchiha had taken control of it.

After all, the most powerful missing shinobi in existence was Uchiha Madara, who also managed to control the Nine-Tails. Who's to say, people said, that the Uchiha couldn't do it again?

 **So, the story is true? Madara did control the Nine-Tails to attack the first Hokage?**

Yes. But after the attack, the Uchiha heard this idea. And I think it was a failing on everyone's part for what happened next.

 **Another incident occurred?**

No. The exact opposite. Nothing happened.

The Uchiha didn't try and correct the rumors out there, though maybe those efforts would have backfired. And no one tried speaking to the Uchiha to see if maybe the rumors were wrong, because the Uchiha had a reputation for being aloof and condescending.

So, everyone talked about the Uchiha, not to them. They all asked why the Uchiha didn't defend themselves from the accusations, but I think those people had already made the minds up. It didn't help that the clan started being more and more isolated as time went by, until you could apparently walk all around Konoha and still not see one, or so I heard.

 **One last question. What reason do you think Itachi-san had for killing his clan?**

I don't think anyone knows. Maybe his younger brother, but the rest of us will just have to guess. But whatever it was, I don't think the councilman's anti-Uchiha attitude and his interest in Itachi personally helped the situation.

 **Thank you for your time.**

 _As I go to leave, I remember one more question and stop them before they leave._

 **My apologies. Can you tell me when Root was fully disbanded?**

…After the councilman's death, so about 10 years ago.

(end of transcript)

* * *

I spoke to many others during my stay in Konoha, both high and low class, civilian and shinobi. The following is what I think happened based on all the interviews I conducted.

 _Did Itachi-san actually kill the entire Uchiha clan?_ Yes, I believe he did. I think Shikaku-sama and Hiashi-sama were telling the truth regarding Itachi-san's abilities and the low chance that someone or some group (like Root or a foreign village) was involved. The Hyuuga would have patrolled for outsiders, and the Uchiha very likely had security in place. Unfortunately, Itachi-san was just a better shinobi and had ambush training.

 _Was Itachi-san actually insane?_ We will never know for certain. Even if he was psychologically evaluated, the evaluation only notes likely problems, not every dissenting opinion a person might have. So, the mandatory evaluation when he was to join ANBU might not have found anything worth noting. It is also important to note that given the high stress of the work shinobi do, many behaviors which happen to stem from mental illness are written off as quirks, or even encouraged (like paranoia), as long as the behaviors don't conflict with the village's expectations and rules.

For my part, I don't think he was insane. I think Itachi began hating his clan secretly after he entered the Academy. There, he would have seen children his age acting like children, in vast contradiction to what he was taught. I think he realized what he lost out when his clan pushed for his training to begin and held a grudge.

Eventually, he ended up joining Root. It broke down what little personality he might have had and replaced it with immense loyalty to the village, along with training in ambushing and stealth/infiltration. I suspect that Itachi more receptive to the message of loyalty, since he did not have a social group he believed was close family and friends, having internally renounced his clan long ago. In addition, the councilman, probably interested in his immense skill and potential, took personal action to shape him, giving him a way to rationalize his hatred. It was not that he felt robbed of his childhood, now the Uchiha were clearly threats to village security.

What made him think of killing the Uchiha will likely never be known, but we can certainly speculate. If it was premeditated, then he had been planning how to kill his clan for quite some time. My gut, however, suggests that the time between choosing to kill them and actually doing so was rather small, at most a few days. Certain things, like when everyone would be in the compound, could not have been known more than a month in advance.

So, something happened, perhaps Itachi-san learned of a particularly obnoxious political move or saw a clan member mistreat someone outside the clan. In his mind, this justified killing them. He probably did research into when all of the clan would be in the compound, then plotted his attack. But I would argue that he had a subconscious motive as well. With the death of his clan, he could run off and finally have the freedom to live as he wanted. That it "helped" Konoha was a tangential benefit for him.

 _Why did he leave Sasuke-san alive?_ People have mentioned to me that Itachi-san loved his younger brother, but I don't think this is what he truly felt. When I asked about how Sasuke-san was doing prior to the Massacre, I was told that he was happy. He enjoyed running around with his peers, and he was skilled but not so much that he would move up the Academy classes.

In short, he was everything a shinobi child would want to be, Itachi-san included. I think Itachi-san didn't mature as much as people suspect, his emotional development arrested when his training began. I believe he saw Sasuke-san as a younger version of himself, the version he wanted. To leave him alive, then, was to not commit "suicide". A selfish act, if you wish, from someone not allowed to be selfish.

 _Why didn't Itachi, a supposed genius, stop at any point and reconsider what he was about to do to his clan, the village, or his beloved younger brother?_ As a side note, I will point out that being smart does not necessarily mean one has the wisdom to fully consider the assumptions, beliefs, and values that organically create our worldview or rationale. But this does touch upon an idea I discussed earlier: Chakra as Identity.

Recall from chapter 3 when I introduced it, that the best sensors amongst shinobi are capable of determining identity simply from someone's chakra. There are also confirmed cases of sensors telling apart even shinobi twins from the same family who have almost identical chakra capacities. I believe it lends credence to the idea that someone's character and personality changes their chakra, marking it as their own, and vice versa.

We know that being surrounded by a certain person's chakra can help shape a young child's chakra signature to a form that gradually becomes similar to that chakra. This process occurs whenever someone's chakra is far greater than the person whose chakra is being molded.

The following is simply speculation on my part: Itachi-san was known to have a large amount of chakra, meaning no one else could feasibly change his chakra. He was constantly surrounded by his own chakra, which made him subconsciously more and more certain he was correct or justified in thinking or doing what he did. So, he would not have rethought his plan at any point, unless something drastic occurred, since he was unconsciously affirming his own ideas!

Ultimately, the Uchiha Massacre will remain a mystery. There is simply not enough information to definitively state what transpired that horrific night which left its last member with enough trauma to fill three books and a lecture series in a university. My conclusion is drawn based on what I think is the most correct information from my interviews, though others may disagree. I think the strongest point of contention is the existence of Root. The third Hokage officially banned its existence in the same year as the Uchiha Massacre, and I wouldn't be surprised if the actual date was close to the Massacre itself. So why then, according to the anonymous ex-Root agent, did the program actually shut down five years after it was banned? I suspect something corrupt surrounding this organization, but perhaps future scholars will discover the true reason.

* * *

As I leave Konoha and head towards Suna, having gotten a large dose of local shinobi culture and society, along with a very mysterious tragedy, I can't help but wonder: Whatever happened to that other Uchiha mentioned by my anonymous source? Did Uchiha Shisui-san survive the Massacre because Itachi-san deemed him loyal to Konoha? Did he stay hidden in Root, or flee elsewhere? Did he die before it disbanded?

Or is Uchiha Sasuke-san not, as people claim, the last pre-Massacre Uchiha still alive?

* * *

 _A.N: This was based off a prompt on the Naruto Fanfiction Subreddit, which asked for a written submission detailing some aspect of the Naruto story from a different point of view. So I decided to see what someone in 'verse might conclude about the Uchiha Massacre, and Itachi as a person._

 _Constructive Criticism is always welcome. I have to get better, you know?_


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